F 



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NEW JERSEY. 



AND ITS ATTRACTIONS, 



Charles K. Landis. 



PHILADELPHIA 
1880„ 



Class ___ 



liooK 




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NEW JERSEY, 



AND ITS ATTRACTIONS, 



BY 



Charles K. Landis. 



PHILADELPHIA, 
1880. 



THE 



SETTLEMENT OF VINELAND, N. J. 



By the Founder, Ciiari.es K. Landis. 



Since I have been in England a few 
months, I have visited that great im- 
provement known as the Shaftesbury 
Park Estate, and I see that, upon all 
sides, questions of social science are in- 
teresting all classes, in reference to gov- 
ernment, to art, to education, and to 
homes. 

For thousands of years what apper- 
tains to government has received the 
study and attention of philosophers, poli- 
ticians and soldiers; but with the pro- 
gress of modern civilization it seems to 
be recognized that there is something 
more important to human societies than 
that which relates to the general com- 
pact, or government, under which they 
live— it is what relates to the near and 
inner home and social life, what in this 
sphere will make men and families better 
off, happier, and morally and materially 
and testhetically advance them. These 
are questions which modern civilizvtion 
is pressing forward with a powerful ur- 
gency. Ttiey are questions which no 
Liberal Governments, such as England, 
need fear; moreover, questions which the 
leaders of Government can direct and 
greatly help, and thereby elevate the 
character of Government in the minds of 
the people. 

It is thought by many, that in my Set- 
tlement of Vineland, located in New Jer- 



sey, United States of America, many of 
these problems (of social science) have 
been solved, seeing the prosperity of the 
place and its people. Since its fame has 
become somewhat spread, I am in the re- 
ceipt of many letters asking questions 
concerning many points which would re- 
quire great time and space to answer. It 
has, therefore, been suggested by friends, 
that it would be best to write a paper 
covering all the main points; a paper 
which the people of England could read, 
and thus satisfy themselves in reference 
to the matters in which they are the 
most interested. 

This is my story: In the year 1861, 
being about twenty-eight years of age, 
and full of hope and courage, I conceived 
the idea of starting a settlement upon 
virgin land, near the great seaboard mar- 
kets of America. I decided upon this lo- 
cation in order to afford the widest and 
most certain scope for individual success, 
alike on account of tlie markets and of 
the opportunities for skilled labor in 
farming, gardening and mechanics. I 
selected a tract of about thirty thousand 
acres, or about forty-eight square miles, 
in the <vildest part of New Jersey, on a 
railroad which had just been completed, 
but did very little business. On this 
land I had no resources but the soil itself; 
the large timber had all been cut off years 

3 



before, to supply the New YorK and Phil- 
adelphia markets; there was no coal, no 
iron, and no great navigable stream — 
nothing to help by way of commercial 
speculation. Besides, at that time there 
was no tide of emigration pouring into 
New Jersey— it all went West. Before 
my time, small tracts of land would not 
be sold to strangers, and emigration to 
that section was discouraged. 

I knew, therefore, I had no chance help 
to depend upon, such as ordinarily allures 
people to new places, but that whatever 
was won had to be created by industry; 
yet I believed that if this could be at- 
tracted, and then placed in the most 
favorable condition for its development 
and increase, all the disadvantages would 
be overcome. It was necessary for me to 
create such a state of things that, when 
the people were brought together from 
the commencement, and during the pro- 
gress of the Settlement, and after it had 
become a populous settlement, these peo- 
ple should prosper as a mass, and be con- 
tented. My own profits depended en- 
tirely upon this. If the people did not 
individually prosper, the Settlement 
would cease to increase or spread, land 
would not st^ll, and the result would be a 
financial failure. I therefore had to de- 
liberate carefully upon all possible things 
which would benelil tlie settler directly 
or indirectly, develop industry, protect it 
— make the improvements of one man, in 
usefulness and beauty, redound to the 
benefit of each neighboring man, make 
families contented by giving them reli- 
gious and educational privileges, supply 
them with information as to the best 
things to cultivate, and how to do it, se- 
cure to them facilities for transporting 
their goods to market at the lowest pos- 
sible prices, keep down all local trade 
monopolies, which would take money 
from the people without an adequate re- 
turn. In short, selling land to them was 



but the beginning of the business; with- 
out their prosperity the sale of land 
would soon stop, before a fifth of my im- 
mense purchase could be taken up. 

I therefore had to address my mind to 
a consideration of the things that make 
people prosperous, conserve industry, pro- 
mote contentment, and which will pro- 
tect them from evils. 

To do t his I had to strike out some new 
paths. Civilization had got engrafted 
upon it many things which would hinder 
or prevent the success of such a plan as I 
proposed to make,especially under so many 
natural disadvantages. The people all 
around my tract of land, whom I >^hould 
first have to depend upon to open roads, 
clear lands, and make a commencement 
in farming, had been kept down by the 
great landlords and manufacturers in the 
vicinity, in a state of degradation and 
brutal ignorance. They lived in log cab- 
ins, with dirt floors; they could neither 
read nor write; for their work at wood- 
chopping they received about fifty cents 
per day— equivalent to two shillings, 
which was paid to them not in money, 
but in orders upon shops, and the shop 
clerk would hand over to tbem each week 
a certain quantity of Indian corn meal, 
salt pork, molasses, and whisky; about as 
much as he thought would serve them 
for a week. There were probably about 
twenty-five families of this kind living 
upon this tract of land, but not owning 
their homesteads, and many more in the 
vicinity. There were no schools; people 
around had the privilege of allowing their 
cattle to run at large; the roads were 
little more tiian bridle paths, and the 
wooden bridges across the streams were 
decidedly dangerous. To add to the com- 
plexity, the great civil war had j ust broken 
out, which threatened many evils. 

It was in the centre of this place, upon 
a mile square of land, that I proposed to 
build a city which should be filled with 



manufactories, shops and stores for mer 
cantile purposes, schools and halls for 
public recreation, also churches of vari- 
ous denominations, and private resi- 
dences, and around this mile square 
of city, as far as the boundaries of 
the land would reach, with farms, gar- 
dens, orchards and vineyards. To look 
at the thing just as it was, this would ap- 
pear difficult; but I saw no reason why 
the enterprise might not be successful, if 
in the first place I chose a practical and 
convenient plan for the growth of the 
town, and one which, as the streets were 
gradually opened, would develop its 
beauty; and if also I adopted a 
system or scheme which would al- 
low all who purchased property from 
me, and improved it, to be di- 
rectly benefited by the increase in the 
value of their property, thus protect- 
ing industry from its ordinary evils, and 
providing for it more than ordinary en- 
couragements. This I resolved to at- 
tempt, if possibly I might bring the peo- 
ple to my views; and this was the real 
difficulty. But, in the first place, I 
decided to theorise and reason with no- 
body— to do nothing to affect my charac- 
ter as a practical man, to be reticent 
always until the time of action arrived; 
that I would make the fixed principles of 
my plans of improvement the subject of 
contract, to be signed and sealed; and in 
respect to the other things, I would 
explain them to the people before they 
bought land, as occasion made it neces- 
sary; then if they did not like what was 
proposed, they would not buy. The spe- 
cial and definite designs which 1 meant to 
work upon shall be explained as I proceed. 

The broad design of the Settlement was 
that it should be agricultural, manufac- 
turing, commercial, and educational— one 
object could not well prosper without the 
others. 

The first question to be solved was the 



labor question. On the 8th day cf 
August, 1861, I went upon the railroad,' 
near the centre of the tract of land, and 
fixed the spot for the city. It was the 
highest ground, and near the centre of 
the tract, upon the railroad which ran to 
Philadelphia. I decided that all my roads 
should be wide and straight, and at right 
angles. I would make up for the want of 
the picturesque in the straight line and 
the right angle by requiring trees for 
shade in single or double rows, according 
to the width, to be planted along all the 
roads. The engineer drove the centre 
stake, I cut down the first tree myself, 
and the axemen then proceeded. During 
this time an old backwoodsman came up, 
and, looking at the surveyor's instru- 
ment very curiously, asked me what in 
the world we could be doing. I explain- 
ed to him that £ had just driven the 
centre stake of a city; that I would at 
once proceed to open a street two miles 
long and one hundred feet wide; and that 
in ten years' time, upon the spot where 
he stood, there would be churches, 
schools, factories, and dwellings, and 
thousands of population; and around this 
city for miles and miles would be stretch- 
ing orchards, vineyards, and farms; and 
that over the very ground which his feet 
were then upon, would be passing hun- 
dreds of carriages every day. The old 
man saw from my eye that I was in d^ad 
earnest, and as I proceeded he moved off 
farther and farther, and, when he was at 
a safe distance, he said, 'Young man, I 
am now old; I have lived here all my life 
— my father and my grand-father before 
me. You can never do this thing.' 

Afterwards he went up to one of the 
axemen, and confidentially told him to 
be sure and get his money on Saturday 
night, 'as that young man meant well, 
but was out of his mind.' This old man 
now lives in the city in a corner plot, op- 
posite the public park. 



The same week I set a large force of 
men to work, and it was not long before 
I had a magnificent avenue opened, two 
miles long and one hundred feet wide, 
along the sides of which I left some of the 
beautiful forest trees for shade. 

At the end of the first week I decided 
to take action upon the labor question 
I reasoned that it would not be consistent 
with the good of the place to have any 
kind of labor degraded — that it would 
militate against my interest as well as 
that of the public. That it would be 
better for me so encourage all laborers, 
that they might have hope, energy, and 
sympathy for my efforts, and be able to 
live in their own freeholds, in order that 
their prosperity might be a part of tlie 
prosperity of the Settlement. 

When my foreman hired the axemen; 
they said nothing about the amount of 
pay they were to get — they took it for 
granted that they were to have the or- 
dinary pay of two shillings per day in 
store orders upon the shops in Millville, 
where they would go and get their tobac- 
co, whisky, and Indian corn-meal. I de- 
cided to stop this entirely; therefore, 
when Saturday night came, I paid them 
at the rate of four shillings a day in gold. 
Then the premium on gold was light. I 
afterwards raised their wages above this. 
When they received their pay their amaze- 
ment was inexpressible. One man object- 
ed to receiving money, saying he had 
never used any, and would not know how 
to spend it. I told him that it was time 
for him to learn. 

I made no explanation to these people, 
only asked them to save all th^y could, 
which they promised to do. The next 
week they worked with great good-will, 
accomplished much more, and spoke well 
of Vineland — the name I had decided on. 
I then told my foreman to give me the 
names of all the men who were steady and 
industrious, and had families. When 



the names were given to me, I called the 
men to me, and told them my designs 
about the place, and that, as they were 
steady and go id men, it would be well 
for them to have homes which they could 
call their own, and that I would allow 
them each to select ten acres of land at 
twenty-five dollars per acre, which they 
could pay for in a term of years, and that 
I would furnish them with a carpenter 
and timber, and help them to erect 
houses for themselves of a cheap but con- 
venient kind, which they could pay for 
in the same way. 1 added that they must 
have no fear of failing— that they must 
have faith that I would not take the 
property away from them, but would give 
them a deed in fee simple, as soon as the 
land was paid for, and that I would bind 
myself to do so in writing. They had 
faith and went ahead. 

On ofl-days and hours they worked for 
themselves, and cleared their land. The 
next season they had their crops growing 
and this was the nucleus of the Settle- 
ment, and the way I solved the labor 
question. I will remark that every one 
of these men succeeded, and got his deed, 
and there was not one with whom I had 
any trouble. At the same time, I erect- 
ed a plain school-bouse of timber, and at 
first employed a teacher at my own ex- 
pense, until there were enough settlers 
and pupils to organize a school district. 
My system or plans upon which I found- 
ed the Settlement may be classed under 
two heads— the Material and the Moral. 

In each contract I required that — Ist. 
The purchaser should erect a habitation 
not nearer than twenty feet from the 
side of the street, in the city plot, or 
seventy-five feet from the roadside, in the 
country. This got rid of the greatest 
evil in new countries— speculation, and it 
made each colonist labor personally to 
improve his lot and cooperate with his 
neighbor, and with myself, for our 



mutual benefit. It also kept the Settle- 
ment continually growing, and made the 
outlands successively saleable. 

I will also here state that in the same 
sense I did not allow myself to become a 
speculator by raising the price of my city 
lots and farm lands as the place improved 
and increased in population. I at first 
placed them at such price as I considered 
would give me a fair remuneration, and 
then I depended upon my profits in the 
rapid sales which would be produced by 
allowing the settlers to have the benefit 
in the rise in the value of land and their 
increased prosperity. 

When land nevertheless would fall back 
on my hands by reason of parties not 
complying with tbeir improvement stipu- 
lations, I used to dispose of it at its mar- 
ket value. The rock upon which many 
owners and companies split, in real estate 
operations, is that they keep raising the 
price of the land as the demand increases 
until the favorable time passes, and there 
is no longer any demand at all, when 
their enterprise, of course, comes to a 
standstill. 

The stipulation about setting the houses 
back removed them from dust, and in- 
duced great attention to the ornamenting 
of front gardens with flowers and shrub- 
bery. 

2. That each person, in front of his or 
her homestead, should plant trees for 
shade at proper distances apart, within 
one year. My own engineer set the stakes 
tor the trees. This was to t'Urn the uni- 
formity of straight lines and right angles 
in the roads to a feature of beauty as well 
as utility. The trees forming long vistas, 
in time would become surpassingly beau- 
tiful; they would also prevent droughts, 
and make a harbor for birds, which are 
nesessary for a fruit country. As a pro- 
tection to roads, and affording a grateful 
shade in summer, we all know their 
value. 



3. The next stipulation was that the 
roadsides should be seeded for grass with- 
in two years, and kept seeded. This was 
done to add to the beauty and to econo- 
mise land which ordinarily was allowed 
to go to waste, as also to prevent the 
spread of noxious weeds that had been 
usually allowed to grow up by the road- 
sides, from whence the seeds spread over 
the adjacent fields. 

I employed numerous road-gangs to 
work, and opened through my land one 
hundred and seventy-six miles of road, 
and built numerous cau eways and 
bridges upon the plan before mentioned. 
This I did at my own expense. 

I also laid out squares in certain local- 
ities for public ornament, and donated a 
park of forty-five acres adjoining tlie city 
plot for the same purpose. These were 
intended for fairs, festivals and public 
amusement. 

The marsh land I drained by opening 
the streams and digging ditches through 
the centre of them. I dug eleven miles 
of centre or main ditches, which re- 
claimed a good deal of the best land, and 
laid bare beds of muck, which proved an 
excellent fertilizer. I gave all the people 
the privilege of digging muck upon my 
land free of charge. 

But there were other questions which 
had to be decided at once, or all this 
work would be lost in the ultimate fail- 
ure of the Settlement. By the laws of 
the State of New Jersey cattle were al- 
lowed to run at large, and all persons 
who improved land were compelled to 
fence their grounds to keep out their 
neighbors' cattle. This was a wasteful 
habit. It involved an immense outlay to 
begin with; also the cost of keeping the 
fences in repair and the loss of the man- 
ure of the cattle. Upon an estimate, I 
found it would cost over a million of dol- 
lars to the settlers to fence the Vineland 
tract. To keep the fences in repair 



would cost ten per cent, per annum, 
which would be 100,000 dollars, and the 
loss of Interest at six per cent, would be 
60,000 dollars per annum. I therefore got 
a law passed, prohibiting all cattle from 
running at large, and repealing the Act 
requiring fences to be built, so far as it 
related to my district. People then kept 
their cattle in enclosures, and soiled 
them, as the farmers term it; much to 
the good of the cattle, the saving of man- 
ure, and the saving of capital. It also 
induced them to cultivate root-crops, 
which added to their wealth and benefited 
the land. This almost produced a war 
upon me from the native Jerseymen, who 
lived around my property; but they have 
since seen the benefit of it to such a de- 
gree that in all the surrounding counties 
they have followed our example and 
adopted the same law. 

Another important question was the 
economizing of manures and sewerage. 
I introduced earth-closets— simply a slid- 
ing box under the seats, and a keg of dry 
earth, or generally a compost of muck 
and plaster, which was thrown into the 
box, and used with a little shovel, the 
whole of it to be emptied once a week. 
This kept it thoroughly deodorised, and 
the manure was almost immediately suit- 
able for use upon the land, and at the end 
of the year amounted to considerable 
value. In the aggregate, in the whole 
Settlement, its money value was very 
large. I explained to the colonists that 
Nature taught us that nothing should go 
to waste, that these things should be 
turned to advantages and blessings, in- 
stead of being allowed to foul the air and 
produce typhoid fevers. I had a law 
passed making it finable in the sum of 
two hundred dollars to dig any cesspool 
that would possibly reach the water level 
of the wells. The sewerage.was managed 
in this way: The farmers disposed of it 
by running it in receptacles for liquid 



manure. In the town it was disposed of 
by running it through a box holding 
muck, sawdust and sand ; the water would 
run out clear, the filtering matter would 
retain the fertilizing properties, and after 
a certain time would be emptied and 
replaced. 

Vineland is probably the only place in 
the world where all excrement and sew- 
age whatever is economized; and the 
large crops raised are in great part owing 
to it. The saving to the people amounts 
to many tliousands per annum, and no 
difSeulty has been found in carrying out 
the plan. The central village has a popu- 
lation of 4,000 people, and as you walk 
through the beautiful little town no nox- 
ious smells will ever assail you. The re- 
markable health of Vineland is no doubt 
greatly owing to this cause. Other towns 
in the neighborliood that live under the 
old system are greatly troubled with 
fevers and epidemics. If the same sys- 
tem were adopted in London, you would 
have something more valuable than all 
the guano beds of the Pacific, to keep up 
the value of your lands. The saving of 
life would be very great, and the plan is 
perfectly feasible. 

The next important question was in 
reference to the sale of liquor, a subject I 
now find greatly agitating the British 
public, and even the Government. I con- 
sidered the subject solely as it would affect 
the industrial success of my settlement. 
1 had witnessed the evil effects of the 
immense number of taverns which 
usually planted themselves m new places; 
I had seen many towns with every natu- 
ral advantage to favor them, and which 
at first were highly prosperous, finally 
fail, in a manner most unaccountable to 
the ordinary observer; but when I no- 
ticed the abundance of taverns, and con- 
sidered the number of people they with- 
draw from productive industry to carry 
them on, and then the effects on their 



customers, I could easily account for 
such enterprises falling sick and becom- 
ing paralysed. My success depended 
directly upon tlie success of each indi- 
vidual who should buy a farm of me. I 
had noticed that those individuals who 
were sober in their habits were usually 
the successful ones in all pursuits; that 
those who were intemperate were the un- 
successful ones; that the families whose 
heads were sober were happy families; 
that where they were intemperate they 
were unhappy. It was of vital import- 
ance to me that a man's means should be 
economized, that he should be inclined 
to labor, and have the health to do it, and 
thai his family should be contented, espe- 
cially his wife. Intemperances is produc- 
tive of discontent in families, and when 
the wife is in a new place, away from 
her relatives and friends, and the husband 
grows intemperate, she becomes panic- 
stricken. Happy, cheerful homes were 
necessary to the success of Vineland. 

As the best account of my action in 
reference to this subject, I will give you 
an extract from a speech I delivered be- 
fore the Judiciary Committee of New 
Jersey in 1873, which was appointed to 
examine into the subject: ''I am in can- 
dor compelled to say that I did not intro- 
duce the local option principle into Vine- 
land from any motives of philanthropy. 
I am not a temperance man in the total 
abstinence sense; I introduced the prin- 
ciple because in cool abstract thought I 
conceived it to be of vital importance to 
the success of my Settlement. If I had 
seen that liquor had made men more in- 
dustrious, skillful, more economical and 
aesthetic in their tastes, I certainly should 
then have made liquor-selling one of the 
main principles of my project. Whilst 
disclaiming all motives of philanthropy, 
I cannot deny the feeling of intense com- 
miseration that I have felt for the vic- 
tims of intoxicatiOD." 



The qriestion came up as to how I 
could give such direction to public opin- 
ion as would regulate this difficulty. 
Many persons had the idea that no place 
could prosper without taverns— that to 
attract business and strangers taverns 
were necessary. I could not accomplish 
my olject by the influence of total absti- 
nence men, as they were too few in num- 
ber in proportion to the whole commu- 
nity. I had long perceived that there 
was no such thing as reaching the result 
by moral influence brought to bear on 
single individuals; that to benefit an en- 
tire community the law or regulation 
would have to extend to the entire com- 
munity. In examining the evil I found, 
also, that the moderate use of liquor was 
not the difficulty to contend against, but 
it was the immoderate use of it. 

The question, then, was to bring reform 
to bear upon the immoderate use of it. 
I found that few or none ever became in- 
toxicated in their own families, in the 
presence of their wives and children, but 
that the drunkards were made in taverns 
and saloons. After this conclusion was 
reached, the way appeared clear. It was 
not necessary to make temperance men 
of each individual; it was not necessary 
to abridge the right or privilege that peo- 
ple might desire of keeping liquor in 
their own houses, but to get their con- 
sent to prevent the public sale of it; so 
that people, in bartering, might not be 
subject to the custom of drinaing, and 
might not have the opportunity of drink- 
ing in bar-rooms, away from all l\ome 
restraint or influence. In short, I btlieved 
that if the public sale of liquor was stop- 
ped, both in taverns and beer-saloons, the 
knife would reach the root of the evil. 
The next thing to do was to deal with 
settlers personally, as they bought land, 
and to counsel with them as to the best 
thing to be done. In conversation with 
them I never treated it as a moral ques- 



10 



tion. I explained to them that I was not 
a total abstinence man myself, but saw 
clearly the liability to abuse, when liquor 
was placed in seductive forms at every 
street corner; that it incited crime, and 
made men unfortunate who would other- 
wise succeed; that most of the settlers 
had a little money to begin with, sums 
varying from two hundred to a thousand 
dollars, which, if added to a man's labor, 
would be enough, in many cases, to ob- 
tain him a home, but which, taken to the 
tavern, would melt away like snow be- 
fore a spring sun; that new places were 
liable to have this abuse to a more ter- 
rible extent than old places, as men were 
removed from the restraints of old asso- 
ciations, and brought into the excitement 
of forming new acquaintances; and that 
it was a notorious fact that liquor-drink- 
ing did not add to the inclination for 
physical labor. I then asked them, for 
the sake of their sons, brothers, friends, 
to help establish the new system, as I 
believed it to be the foundation stone of 
future prosperity. 

To these self-evident facts they would 
almost all accede. Many of them had 
witnessed the result of liquor-selling in 
the new settlements of the far West, and 
were anxious to escape from it. 

The local option law of Vineland was 
not established by temperance men, or 
total abstinence men only, but by the 
citizens generally, upon broad social and 
public principles. It has since been 
maintained in the same way. This law 
has been practically in operation since 
the beginning of the Settlement in the 
autumn of 1661; though the Act of the 
Legislature empowering the people of 
Landis Township to vote upon license or 
no license was not passed until 1863. The 
vote has always stood against license by 
overwhelming majorities, there generally 
being only from two to nine votes in 
favor of liquor-selling. The population 



of Vineland Tract is about 10,500 people, 
consisting of manufacturers and business 
people upon the city plot in the centre, 
and around this centre, of farmers and 
fruit-growers. Most of the tract is in the 
Landis Township. I will now give sta- 
tistics of police and poor expenses of this 
township for the past seven years: 



POLICE EXPENSES. 

1867 850 

lSt>8 50 


POOR EXPENSES. 

1K67 i400 

iS'SS 425 


]8ti9 76 


18 9 425 


1870 75 


187(1 350 


1871 150 

1872 25 

1873 50 


1871 400 

1H72 350 

1873 400 



(The dollar is 4s. 2d.English mones'.) 
Were licenses for saloons and taverns 
obtainable with the same ease as in New 
York, Philadelphia, and many country 
districts, Vineland would probably have, 
ac wording to its population, from one to 
two hundred such places. Counting them 
at one hundred, this would withdraw 
from the pursuits of productive industry 
about one hundred families, which would 
average a population of six hundred peo- 
ple. Eich of these places would sell 
about 3,000 dollars' worth of beer and 
liquor per annum, making 300,000 dollars' 
worth of stimulants a year. I include 
beer saloons, as liquor can be obtained in 
them all, as a general thing, and, in the 
electrical climate of America, beer leads 
to similar results as spirits. Think of 
the effect of 300,000 dollars' worth of 
stimulants upon the health, the minds 
and the industry of our people. Think 
of the increase of crime and pauperism. 
The average would be fully equal to other 
places in which liquor is sold. Instead 
of having the police expenses at 50 dol- 
lars, and the poor expenses at 400 dollars 
per annum, the amount would be swollen 
to thousands. 

The home example of Vineland has 
been such that the neighboring cities of 
Millville and Bridgeton, which previously 
could number liquor saloons by hundreds, 
and were often the scenes of disorder and 



11 



crime, have abolished them, with the 
same favorable results as in Vineland. 
The example has also spread to other 
townships of the State, and over one-half 
of all the townships of the great State of 
Pennsylvania. 

1. The results in Vineland have con- 
vinced me that temperance does conserve 
the industry ot the people. 

2. That temperance is conducive to a 
refined and aesthetical taste. 

3. That temperance can be sufficiently 
secured in a community by suppressing 
all the taverns and saloons to protect it 
from the abuse of excessive liquor-drink- 
ing, and without interfering with the 
right of all classes of people to keep liquor 
and beer in their own homes. 

The next thing I will mention is Edu- 
cation. I designed that in Vineland it 
should be of an advanced character; and 
that in time the place should become 
noted for its educational advantages. As 
fast as the population sufficiently in- 
creased in the different sections, in con- 
nection with the citizens I had school 
districts formed and school-houses built. 
As the school-law of New Jersey at that 
time was far behind the requirements of 
the age, I moved for a special Act appli- 
cable to LandisTowuship,under condition 
that it be submitted to a vote of the peo- 
ple. Owing to the misrepresentations of 
some demagogues at the time, the Bill 
was defeated. With some friends, how- 
ever, at the next meeting of the Legis- 
lature, I had the same ideas embodied in 
a general Act for the whole State, and it 
was passed. Under this law education 
has taken great strides. In Vineland we 
have built some twenty school-houses, 
consisting of primary and grammer 
schools; and this year we have built a 
large high school, as it is called, at a cost 
of over 30,000 dollars, for teaching the 
higher branches of education, which 
school was opened the 22 id of last Aug- 



ust by the President of the United States 
and most of his Cabinet. The next step 
will be 10 connect with all our schools an 
industrial and technological branch of 
education, that boys may be trained in 
physical industry, and have the sciences, 
and agriculture, and horticulture practi- 
cally taught to them in their everyday 
work, step by step, in connection with 
their studies. 

When the Settlement started, most of 
my land was in the Township of Mili- 
ville Tliis was soon found to be an in- 
convenience, and it was important that 
the main features upon which I had 
founded the Settlement should be made a 
law. I therefore got an Act of the Leg- 
islature passed embodying the main fea- 
tures of my plan, and setting off the 
most of my territory into a separate 
township. To this Act I have since got 
supplements passed as they became ne- 
cessary. The most important principle 
is that the entire Township is governed 
by a committee of five men, elected an- 
nually by the people. I have had no city 
charter, no aldermen, no imposing body 
of councilmen. I believe the more the 
governing body is increased in number, 
the more is individual responsibility di- 
vided and lessened; thereby the more is 
corruption likely to creep in. A system 
of few legislators, with powers strictly 
defined, who have to appear often for re- 
election, is what experience has proved 
to give the greatest satisfaction. This 
has secured to us a faithful performance 
of public duties at the lowest possible 
rate of taxation. 

In the progress of the Settlement, as 
the number of members belonging to any 
religious denomination increased, I do- 
nated them laud, and contributed money 
towards erecting churches, showing no 
favor to any creed, and treating all alike; 
only encouraging a good style of church 
edifice as far as possible. We have erect- 



12 



ed Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, 
Congregational, Baptist, Unitarian, and 
Swedenborgian churches; some of them 
are spacious and fine buildings. The 
Catholics are now building. For the 
first few years I contributed to the sal- 
aries of the clergy. 

I also assisted in the organization pt 
various societies of a useful and literary 
character. I found that as people had no 
liquor saloons they felt more interest in 
such societies. In fact, the difference U 
a marked feature, and a sulj set for the 
the most interesting study. Some of the 
societies were beneficial— such as Masonic 
and Odd Fellows; others Agricultural 
and Horiicultural, Floral and Literary. 
To encourage a taste in such matters, I 
offered various premiums. la 1865 I of- 
fered $350 in agricultural premiums. In 
1866 1 offered premiums as follows: 

1. One hundred dollars, divided into 
two sums, for the best essay on the his- 
tory of Vineland, the Historical Society 
being judge of the composition. 

2. Oae hundred dollars, divided into 
two sums, for the two best pieces of prose 
and poetry. 

3. One hundred dollars to the Society 
of Agriculture and Horticulture, to be 
distributed in prizis for the best speci- 
mens of products. 

One liuudred dollars to the Society of 
Agriculture and Horticulture, to be 
given in prizes for the best specimen of 
fruits. 

One hundred dollars, to be given in the 
form of gold medals, with appropriate 
inscriptions, to the male and female 
pupils who shall be judged to be the most 
advanced scholars, independent of every 
other consideration. 

One hundred dollars to the two pupils, 
boy and girl, aged from l-I to 18, who 
shall be judged to be the most advanced 
sciiolars, independent of every other con- 
sideration. 

One hundred dollars to the liand of 
Music which might have given six pub- 
lic concerts, three in open air during 
summer, and three in winter. 

One hundred dollars, in the form of 
gold medals, with appropriate inscrip- 



tions, to the two persons who prove 
themselves most graceful and agile in 
gymnastic exercises. 

Fifty dollars, in the form of a gold 
medal, to the lady who cultivates with 
her own hands the most beautiful garden 
of flowers. 

In the year 1867 I offered the following 
prizes: 

Twenty dollars and a diploma for the 
best cultivated acre of flela carrots. 

Twenty dollars and a diploma for the 
best cultivated acre of turnips. 
Twenty dollars for the best iiept farm. 
Twenty dollars for the best cultivated 
orchard of at least two acres. 

Fifty dollars to the lady who shall have 
cultivated, and laid out w:th the greatest 
taste, a flower garden. 

One hundred dollars, to be distributed 
among the three persons who shall best 
play the violin, cornet-a-piston, and the 
flute. The competition to be held at the 
exhibition of horticulture, the decision 
being left to a committee. 

Fifty dollars to the gentleman who is 
strongest and most active in gymnastic 
exercises. 

.Fifty dollars to the lady most agile at 
gymnastics. 

The distribution of all these prizes was 
made at the time of the Exhibition of the 
Society of Agriculture. 

As the societies became strong, I with- 
drew my assistance, excepting in cases of 
emergency. As an illustration of how 
much can be done by a little timely help, 
to encourage people, I will mention an 
incident. The Baptists erected a very 
large and handsome brick building, with 
a very heavy slate roof. I was driving 
past one morning, and I noticed a crowd 
of people collected in front of it, with a 
most woebegone expression of counten- 
ance. They informed me that the roof 
had proved too heavy for the walls, and 
that it was pressing them out, and they 
expected the building to fall any minute. 
They had spent their last dollar, and 
were in despair. I replied I would at 
once contribute one hundred dollars to- 
wards bracing the building— that they 



13 



shouM telegraph for an architect to come 
down from Philadelphia in the next 
train. They had this one hundred dollars 
to go upon, and soon raised more. The 
architect carae down, the walls were 
temporarily braced, and in a few days 
fine iron rods were stretched across the 
inside of the building, clamping the walls, 
and it is now one of tde most substantial 
and beautiful church buildings in South 
Jersey. I mention this not to show what 
1 did, but how necesssary it is for a prc- 
prietor to do something himself, in such 
emergencies, in order to encourage the 
people to effort, and accomplish things 
that help him and themselves. 

At the first it was necessary to intro- 
duce the cultivation of such products as 
were adapted to our soil and climate and 
markets. For the produce most sought 
after in the markets of Philadelpiiia, New 
York and Boston, our soil and climate 
were well adapted. These were fruits, 
such as grapes, pears, peaches, apples and 
berries jf different varieties; also, vege- 
tables, juch as sweet potatoes, or yams, 
as they are called in England, early white 
potatoes, table and field beets, onions, 
lima beans, cabbage, turnips, cauliflowers, 
asparagus, pippins, and melons of differ- 
ent varieties. These all grow to perfec- 
tion, and ripen early. Our people also 
raised wheat, Indian corn, grass, millet, 
and stock for home consumption, but the 
other articles were raised to send away. 
I succeeded in getting the settlers to plant 
extensive orchards and vineyards; 1 think 
there are now at least 1,5U0 vineyards and 
orchards in A^'ineland, presenting one of 
the most beautilul sights imaginable. 

Special attention was also paid to the 
introduction of the best stock of cattle, 
pigs and poultry, in all of which Vine- 
land now excels. 

As produce was raised, it came to be 
necessary to market it: and considering 
that the colonists were strangers in the 



country, I employed an agent at my own 
expense, whose duty it was to take their 
produce to market, dispose of it, and re- 
turn them the money, free of any charge 
for his services. In time, as the colonists 
became acquainted with business and the 
markets, this became unnecessary, and I 
withdrew this assistance. 

As the Settlement grew, people who had 
capital to iuvesi came to Vineland and 
settled, for the purpose of residence. I 
noticed thai this caintal generally sought 
investment out ot Vineland — in the Stale 
of New York and oiher Slates, where the 
rale of interest was seven per cent, in- 
stead of six per cent., as in the Slate of 
J^ew Jersey. 1 made an effort to have 
tiie law, so far as related to my own 
township, changed, so as to allow seven 
per cent, interest, but failed in the Legis- 
lature ihe first session, owing to the pre- 
judices of some of ihe members. The 
next session 1 was more successful, and 
the act was extended to the entire State, 
much to the advantage of Vineland, and 
the rest of New Jersey. This alone gave 
an impetus to industry beyond what many 
believed possible. 

Alter the Settlement had so grown as 
to number some thousands of inhabitants, 
and had a great deal of produce to send 
to market, we had reason to complain of 
the high charges for freight upon our 
single railroad. I remonstrated with the 
company, and received from its general 
manager fair promises about reduction, 
but these were not fulfilled. I then, with 
muc 1 difiiculty, obtained a charter from 
the Slate Legislature for a new railroad 
leading direct to New York and Balti- 
more. After a severe struggle of five 
years, I succeeded in getting this new 
railroad built, when there was an imme- 
diate fall in the rates upon both railioads. 
Then more produce was raised, and manu- 
facturers came in, who before were de- 
terred on account of high rates of freight. 



14 



The buildia? of the latter railroad in- 
creased the trackage through the Vine- 
land territory, from eight miles to seven- 
teen miles, adding vastly to the value of 
property, as well as to the prosperity of 
the people, and affording new outlets. 

After the agricultural portion of my 
plan had become developed, the next thing 
to be done was to introduce manufac- 
tures. To facilitate this I erected a large 
building, at the cost of some thirty thou- 
sand dollars, divided into different rooms. 
I introduced a steam engine of some fifty 
horse power into the building, and the 
necessary shafting through the rooms, 
and let out room and power to manufac- 
turers for a very small sum— what was 
barely adequate to pay expenses. To 
some I gave room for nothing, or rather 
in consideration of their introducing 
their business. 

This was the nucleus of what is row an 
extensive manufacturing interest ; and 
besides this, I encouraged it in other 
ways. The result of it is that boots and 
shoes, buttons, straw hats, pocket- books, 
woodwork of different kinds, and various 
other things are extensively manufac- 
tured in Vineland, constantly adding to 
its wealth and population, and always 
increasing and giving employment to men 
not naturally farmers, and working girls 
and boys. 

Another subject of serious concern was 
to keep down commercial monopolies, es- 
pecially in those things nearly related to 
the staff of life. Being so near the great 
markets of New York and Philadelphia, 
the colonists found it more profitable to 
raise fruits and the finer vegetables for 
market, and to depend upon purchasing 
flour and feed with the proceeds of their 
sales. 

They purchased this flour and feed from 
the storekeepers of the place, and the 
storekeepers were supplied by the millers 
in the surrounding country. I heard 



great complaint about the prices they 
had to pay for this flour and feed, and 
upon examination I found that these 
prices greatly exceeded the market prices 
elsewhere. This I knew my colonists 
could not stand. They must be able to 
compete with other places, and in or- 
der to compete they must be able to buy 
cheap. I had introduced a grist-mill in 
my steam factory building, which I let 
out; but those who hired it did not know 
how to contend against combinations, 
and always failed. 

I therefore decided to run the mill my- 
self, and to fight the combination upon 
these principles: I wiuld buy nothing 
but the best of articles, and for cash, in 
order to buy cheap. I would place the 
price of my articles at the lowest possible 
price covering cost and expenses. I 
would only sell for cash. I would have 
articles delivered all over the tract with- 
out extra charge, though all to whom i 
had previously let my mill said this plan 
would fail. I also had a shop opened 
in the centre of the town. I put the 
prices of feed and flour down at once 
fully thirty percent., and instead of sell- 
ing poor articles, which people had been 
previously getting, I sold nothing but the 
best. In the first diys only a few people 
bought. The number increased. The 
business ran up to hundreds of dollars a 
day. The demand came from all sides; 
the trouble now was to supply the de- 
mand; more machinery had to be intro- 
duced, and more power. The demand ex- 
tended beyond Vineland. Teams came 
for twenty miles to load up with supplies. 
The fame of the good flour reached Phil- 
adelphia, and the Continental Hotel tried 
it first, and then got its supply of flour 
from the Vineland Steam Mills. The 
'corner' or combination was broken up, 
and the entire Settlement appeared to 
take a new start of prosperity as if by 
sudden impulse. Bringing down the 



15 



prices was ecLuivalent to saving to each 
family for themselves and stock two 
hundred dollars a year, which for two 
thousand families would be 400,000 
dollars a year. They were able to pros- 
per by so much better. That prosperity 
encouraged them to new efforts; thereby 
resulting in a co-operative benefit to my- 
self, which is the reason why I mention 
the circumstance. 

In connection with this, as illustrating 
the principle still further, I will give an- 
other example. The poultry and egg 
business near the great cities of New 
York and Philadelphia is one of the most 
certain and profitable pursuits in the 
United States. After I had started my 
mill, I was informed by one of my colo- 
nists that the storekeepers did not allow 
more than from one-half to two-thirds 
for eggs that they would sell for in Phila- 
delphia, whilst they asked almost twice 
as much for meat scrop and other poultry 
food as it could be bought for in Philadel- 
phia. I examined into the subject, and 
found the statement to be true. I then 
ordered eggs to be taken in at my mill 
in pay for flour and feed, the same as 
cash, at Philadelphia prices, less the 
freight, and obtained some tons of meat 
scrop from Philadelphia, and ordered the 
miller to manufacture poultry feed, and 
sell the whole at a reduction correspond- 
ing with the rest of the articles. The re- 
sult of this was that in ten months not 
less than one thousand new henneries 
went up over the Vineland tract. It was 
a business that old and decrepid men and 
women and children could follow. It 
was a winter and summer industry, and 
is now one of the greatest in Vineland. 
It may be asked — does the mill pay? I 
can reply. Yes. But the profit is got by 
•making a small percentage upon a very 
large business, instead of a large percent- 
age upon a very small business. I will 
also remark that in the above statements 



I wish to make no reflections upon the 
shopkeepers of Vineland. They acted ac- 
cording to the instincts of trade, the 
same as in other places. They have 
erected handsome buildings, ana where 
they tiave not been biassed by private in- 
terests, have always been public-spirited. 

It may be imagined that in these things 
I have made some enemies, whilst plough- 
ing my way through different interests, 
but I am happy to say I have made many 
more friends, and gained direct personal 
advantages, by increasing the value of 
my own property with that of the colo- 
nists. 

As before mentioned, on the 22d of Au- 
gust, last year, General Grant, President 
of the United States, and most of his 
Cabinet, attended the dedication of the 
new high school building in Vineland, 
and he made the following speech. His 
speeches never consist of more than a few 
words: 

Ladies and Gentlemen of Vineland— It 
gives me great pleasure to visit your 
thriving town of Vineland. It is one of 
the greatest places for industry and pros- 
perity and intelligence, and all the im- 
provements I have heard of have been 
accomplished under trying circum- 
stances. 

The difficulties he refers to were mainly 
owing to the great civil war. Vineland 
was started in the commencement of it, 
and had to struggle through the darkest 
period. We had three calls for troops. I 
decided to step forward and co-operate 
with the people to prevent drafts. I 
therefore endorsed the Township notes 
individually, and raised money enough 
from the banks in Millville and Bridge- 
ton to fill our quotas, and sent them to 
the war, without any draft. Vineland 
has been able to make an honorable rec- 
ord in the war, and pay off a debt of 
$60,000 and to prosper in the face of every 
difficulty. 

There is a material and industrial pros- 



M^t/r 



16 



perity existing in Vineland, which, 
though I say it myself, is unexanapled in 
the history of colonization, and must be 
due to more than ordinary causes. 

The influence^ of temperance upon 
the health and industry of the people is 
no doubt one great cause. The Settle- 
ment has built twenty fine school-houses, 
ten churches, and kept up one of the 
finest systems of road improvements, 
measuring one hundred and seventy-eight 
miles, in the country. There are now 
some fifteen manufacturing establish- 
ments on the Vineland tract, and they 
are constantly increasing in number. Her 
stores in extent and building will rival 
any other place in South Jersey. There 
are four post-offlces in the tract; the 
central one did a business last year of 
4,800 dollars, mail matter, and a money- 
order business of $78,922. 

Out of seventy-seven townships in the 
State, by the census of 1869 Landis Town- 
ship ranked the fourth in the value of its 
agricultural productions. There are 
seventeen miles of railway upon the 
tract, embracing six railway stations. 
The amount of products sent away to 
market is enormous. Her fruits are to 
be seen in all the large eastern cities, 
from Philadelphia to Quebec. There is 
more fruit raised in Vineland than any- 
where else in the United States upon the 
same area of land. 

To drive through the place over the 
smooth and beautiful roads, lined with 
young shade trees, and bordered with 
green, and past her thousands of orchards 
and vineyards, is like driving through the 



loveliest of parks. The poorest of her 
people seek to make their homes beauti- 
ful. Her citizens are gathered together 
from the far West, from the middle and 
New England Stales, from Germany, 
France, England, Ireland and Scotland; 
even from sunny Italy. All of those who 
are industrious succeed, and industry is 
the rule. The idler, without the capacity 
to do a day's work, does not succeed, and 
ought not to succeed anywhere, 

I am happy to be able to say that the 
result of the project as a land enterprise, 
has been to the interests of tlie colonists, 
as well as my own. Town lots that I sold 
for 150 dollars have been resold for from 
500 to 1,500 dollars, exclusive of improve- 
ments; land that I sold for 25 dollars per 
acre has much of it been resold for 200 to 
500 dollars per acre, exclusive of improve- 
ments. This rule will hold good for 
miles of the territory, all resulting from 
the great increase of population and pros- 
perity of her people. 

It is certainly an interesting question 
whether the highest self-interest cf the 
landed proprietors of England, or any 
other country, cannot be found in ad- 
vancing the material and moral welfare 
of all those wlio live and work upon their 
own estates. 

To me the most unpleasant part of the 
above narrative is the necessity I have 
been under of so often menlioning my- 
self, and I hope the reader will kindly 
take this necessity into consideration, and 
let that be my apology. — Fraser's London 
Magazine, Jan., 1875. 



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